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Sri Mariamman Temple Much Like a Microcosm of Multi-Racial Singapore, Chinatown Is Home to the Oldest, Largest and Most Important Hindu Temple in the Nation

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Sri Mariamman Temple Much Like a Microcosm of Multi-Racial Singapore, Chinatown Is Home to the Oldest, Largest and Most Important Hindu Temple in the Nation Chinatown Stories | Updated as of June 2019 Sri Mariamman Temple Much like a microcosm of multi-racial Singapore, Chinatown is home to the oldest, largest and most important Hindu temple in the nation. The oldest and largest Hindu temple in Singapore has a history of 192 years. Built in South Bridge Road in 1827, Sri Mariamman Temple is dedicated to Mariamman, a rural South Indian mother goddess believed to offer protection against epidemic diseases such as cholera. The Original Structure Indian pioneer Naraina Pillai, an entrepreneur who was inspired by the zeal of Sir Stamford Raffles and accompanied him to Singapore in 1819, built this iconic structure eight years after the British East India Company established a trade settlement in Singapore. Formerly a government clerk from Penang, Pillai started Singapore’s first construction company, ran a textile business, and was widely recognised as a leader within the Indian community. A plot of land in Telok Ayer Street was initially allocated for this temple, but it was deemed unsuitable because of the lack of freshwater supply required for cleansing rituals. A piece of land near Stamford Canal was also briefly considered. Eventually, the present site in South Bridge Road was granted and earmarked as Kling Chapel. (“Klings” or “kelings” were an old nickname for South Indians, though it is now considered derogatory.) The original temple structure built by Pillai in 1827 was made of wood and attap. He also installed Sinna Amman, a small deity to represent the goddess Mariammam, in the inner sanctum of the main shrine. After close to two centuries, it is interesting to note that this deity can be found in the temple. It remains covered and is only unveiled during puja (services) and festivals. Thanks to a donation from an Indian landowner in 1831, the temple was expanded. In 1843, Indian convict labour replaced the wood and attap structure with a brick one. Subsequently, the temple underwent several rounds of renovation and restoration work. Most of the construction, especially the elaborate plaster sculptures and ornamentation, were produced by skilled craftsmen from the Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts of Tamil Nadu in South India. It is believed that much of the present structure dates back to 1862-1863. Architectural Marvel The temple was built in the Dravidian style from South India. It features a gopuram (entrance tower) embellished with colourful sculptures of Hindu deities, as well as figures in traditional Indian costume. The original three-tier gopuram was constructed in 1903, rebuilt into a five-tiered gopuram in 1925, and restored and enhanced in the 1960s. Its large double-leaf timber doors are studded with gold bells in a grid pattern. Devotees would ring the bell as they entered through a covered hall and into the main prayer hall, which is the central shrine of Mariamman. It is decorated with richly ornamented columns and ceiling frescos, including a painting of a mandala, which represents the universe and the state of nirvana. Shrines capped with colourful domes known as Vimana surround the main prayer hall, dedicated to the deities Durga, Ganesh and Shiva. The two secondary shrines surrounding the main shrine are dedicated to Draupadi, a heroine in the Mahabharata (one of the major Page 1 of 3 Chinatown Stories | Updated as of June 2019 Sanskrit epics of South India), and Rama (the avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu). The compound is delineated by a wall lined with sculptures of cows, which are revered as sacred animals by Hindus. Theemithi Festival The temple has been the venue of the yearly Theemithi (fire-walking) festival since 1940, celebrated by thousands of devotees to honour Draupadi. As recorded in Mahabharata, after the mother goddess was publicly humiliated, she walked on fire to prove her chastity, virtuousness and adherence to dharma, the path of righteous living stipulated in Hindu scriptures. It is believed that devotees who were as virtuous as Draupadi would be able to walk across scorching coals unscathed as well. Hence, during this festival, male devotees would traverse a bed of burning charcoal approximately 3m in length barefooted, before stepping into a pit of milk. In exchange, they could ask the goddess for a wish or blessing. Celebrated in October or November each year, this festival begins with a 4km to 5km procession, where devotees would walk from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road to Sri Mariamman Temple. This culminates in a fire-walking ceremony, during which the pandaram (chief priest) walks across the fire with a sacred pot to symbolise Draupadi’s victory. Cultural Significance Sri Mariamman Temple is such a prominent landmark that the two streets flanking it – Temple Street and Pagoda Street – have been named after it. The latter references the gopuram, which to the Chinese resembles a Chinese pagoda. This iconic landmark is the spiritual and social epicentre for the local Hindu community. Since its early days, it has not only provided a place of worship for Indian immigrants but also offered them shelter while they awaited work or accommodation. It also doubled as the registry of marriages for Hindus – it was the only place sanctioned to solemnise Hindu marriages in Singapore in those days. Where necessary, the Temple Panchayat (council of elders) also helped to resolve marital disputes. As a nod to its cultural, historical and architecture importance, Sri Mariamman Temple was gazetted a National Monument on 6 July 1973, and remains a major tourist attraction today. During peak periods, as many as 500 tourists visit this temple daily. Some 100 to 200 devotees also pray at the temple on weekdays. This number increases to 500 to 700 on Fridays and weekends. Restoration and future relevance Hindu temples are typically re-consecrated every 12 years after any restoration work. And based on the temple’s records, the first known kumbabishegam (consecration) ceremony was conducted in June 1936. Sri Mariamman Temple was most recently re-consecrated in April 2010 after a $4 million restoration project involving 20 skilled craftsmen from India. This included the repainting of deities, the addition of a new elevated viewing gallery for festivals, as well as a three-storey annexe building behind the temple. The annexe has a fully equipped auditorium and facilities for weddings, presentations, corporate meetings, as well as cultural and Page 2 of 3 Chinatown Stories | Updated as of June 2019 educational events. The Hindu Endowment Board, a statutory board under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, now manages the temple. In recent years, this historical building has begun to stream live webcasts of its major events to reach a wider audience. References: eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_778_2004-12-23.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Mariamman_Temple,_Singapore roots.sg/Content/Places/national-monuments/sri-mariamman-temple www.straitstimes.com/singapore/oldest-hindu-temple-in-singapore www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/culture-heritage/places-of-worship/sri- mariamman-temple/ heb.org.sg/sri-mariamman-temple/ smt.org.sg/HEB/Template3/history eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_762_2004-12-23.html Page 3 of 3 .
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